Former US track star Chris Estwanik warmed up for this month's Bermuda International Race Weekend by capturing a second successive Fairmont to Fairmont Road Race title in overcast conditions yesterday.

The American, who took the local running scene by storm last year, led from start to finish on the way to setting a new personal best in a race traditionally viewed as a primer for the annual Race Weekend spectacle - just two weeks' away.

Estwanik covered the 7.2 mile course in a time of 36 minutes and 18 seconds, shaving 11 seconds off of his previous best (36 minutes and 29 seconds).

His new PB was also just three seconds shy of the all-time race record (36:08) set by David Swanson in 1989.

Also for the second successive year, runner-up accolades went to Lamont Marshall (38:36) who managed to keep his American rival in sight before eventually falling off the pace on his descent down Burnt House Hill in Warwick.

Tucker Murphy (41:30) finished third to round off the podium finishers in the men's Open Division.

Having reaffirmed his status as the Island's king of the road, ex-Nike Farm Team runner Estwanik will now set his sights on competing in the KPMG Invitational Mile as well as the International 10K and Half-Marathon during the upcoming Race Weekend.

"I don't anticipate going after a personal best in any of those respective divisions. I just want to stick my neck in and mix it up a bit," the 28-year old reinsurance underwriter told The Royal Gazette after yet another dominant performance on the Island's roads.

"I think I'd rather have one of those accumulative good weekends just to prove to myself that my body is strong enough to handle the distance, which is something I have had to learn over the years.

"I have always been better at track and shorter distances, but now I am learning to appreciate road running which is a different sport with the pounding your legs take on the road. It's a very different sport."

Estwanik covered most of the race course on record pace before the punishing inclines at Burnt House and Fairmont Southampton eventually took their toll.

"I was significantly ahead on pace and then right around Burnt House Hill I thought maybe I went out a little too speedy which might have been the adrenaline of not having run competitively for a while," he said.

"I just shot out from the start and didn't realise how fast I was running which is good in a way because you get to burn off energy you can only use at the beginning of a race."

Marshall, who is also gearing up for the upcoming Race Weekend, was also generally satisfied with his own performance.

"Overall I feel I am in pretty good shape for the International Race Weekend 10K. I felt pretty good for the first five miles but the last two really hurt me, especially coming over the backside of Burnt House and Princess (Fairmont Southampton) hills," he said.

"It was a good run for me . . . I definitely wanted to go hard and fast. I ran five good miles out of the seven and so I am pleased with that heading into Race Weekend."

Also basking in the afterglow of a second Fairmont to Fairmont title was women's veteran Victoria Fiddick who placed ninth overall to capture top honours in the female Open and Masters Divisions in a winning time of 46:38.

Fiddick finished runner-up in the previous event but was not to be denied glory this year as she too led her field from start to finish.

"It was a straight forward race but I was a bit disappointed because I felt I was capable of a better time," she said. "I knew what I wanted to do on my mile splits, but I think I went out too fast on the first couple of miles and then the wind may have played a factor coming down Harbour Road.

"I felt as though I was holding my pace, but then I noticed I had lost 15 to 20 seconds on my splits which adds up in the end. It wasn't my best performance. But it was a good race which I won, and so I should be happy with that."

The 43 -year old runner has now set her sights on the upcoming KPMG Invitational Mile and Race Weekend Half-Marathon.

Meanwhile, second place in the Women's Open Division went to the fast-improving Jennifer Alen (47:47 seconds) while Commonwealth Games triathlete, Karen Smith, finished third in a time of 48:19.

Last year's women's Open Division winner, mom-to-be Ashley Estwanik, placed ninth this time around in a time of 52:05, comparatively slow by her own high standards.

With former winner Kavin Smith absent, Simon Ashby (42:27) won the Men's Masters Division.

Trey Simons (8:20), Justin Ferreira (9:39), Treyshun Sanders (10:16) and Molly Pilgrim (10:26), Kamryn Minors (11:00) and Erica Hawley (11:23) were the top three boys' and girls' finishers in yesterday's junior event, run over a shorter course from Heron Bay MarketPlace to the Fairmont Southampton.